Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 20:05:05 +0530
From: Jai Haravu
Dear professional colleagues and teachers of library and information science
I am happy to let you know that a new book titled Library Automation: Design
Principles and Practice will be published by Allied Publishers and become
available by the end of July 2004. The book is authored by me (L.J. Haravu)
and is targeted to students and teachers in library schools, librarians, and
software developers interested in library automation. Some of you may not
know me. I retired as senior Manager, Library and Documentation Services of
ICRISAT in India in Jan 1996.
The table of contents of the book is given at the end of this mail. The
book also has an accompanying CD-ROM containing sample applications, data
structures, presentations and web resources on topics discussed in the
book.
The book, in fact is being published on behalf of a charitable professional
trust of which I am a trustee, viz., Kesavan Institute of Information and
Knowledge Management (KIIKM) (http://www.kiikm.org/). This trust was formed
to honour one of Indias great scholar-librarians, Mr B S Kesavan, who was
independent Indias first National Librarian and later the first Director of
the Indian National Scientific Documentation Centre (INSDOC in New Delhi,
India). Mr Kesavan was a pioneer institution builder, a great humanist and a
mentor to many young library professionals.
The book is priced at Indian Rupees 445.00. However, KIIKM will be offering
a limited number of copies of the book to librarys, library schools and
individual library professionals at a concessional price of Rupees 330 plus
Rupees 35 towards packing and air mail postage (Total of Rupees365.00).
If you are interested in one or more copies of the publication for your
library, do send me an advance payment by cheque for Rs. 365.00 per copy
made out to the Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management.
The cheque should be sent to the address given below. If you have difficulty
in sending advance payment, kindly send me an email expressing interest in
having the book so that I can reserve a copy for you/your library.
The proceeds of the sale of the book will accrue to KIIKM.
Best regards and looking forward to hearing from you.
L J Haravu
Table of Contents
Library Automation: Design, Principles and Practice
L J Haravu
Chapter 1. B Background and brief history
Scope
Nature of library automation systems
Brief history of library automation
The period 195470
Information retrieval
Library housekeeping
Circulation control
Serials control systems
Acquisitions
Technology and environment
The period 197090
Online catalogues
Retrospective conversion
Access to resources outside the library
Interlibrary loan services and document delivery
Data exchange
Integrating other online resources
Technology and environment
International initiatives
Networking technologies
The birth of the Internet and the World Wide Web
Developments since 1990
Chapter 2. Introduction to library automation
Scope
Rationale
Types of library automation systems
Standalone systems
Integrated systems
Library automation subsystems
Use scenarios in library automation
Hardware and software for library automation
Single user systems
Multi-user systems
Local area networks (LANs)
Client-server architectures
Software requirements
References
Suggested reading
Chapter 3. Automation of book acquisition systems
Scope
The role of acquisitions
Rationale for the automation of the acquisitions function
Infrastructure for an automated acquisitions system
Access to external databases and sources of information
Access to internal databases and files
Subsystems of an automated acquisitions system
Request processing
Order data entry and updating
Order production and transmission
Received item processing
Accessioning
Received invoice processing
Claims
Cancellation
Physical preparation
Financial records, budgeting and reporting
Search and retrieval
Management information reporting
Interfaces with other library automation subsystems
Review questions and exercises
Suggested reading
Chapter 4. File and data structures in automated book acquisitions systems
Scope
Workflows and files in book acquisitions
Suggestions_file
Approvals_file
Vendors_file
Budget files
Bibliographic_file
Invoices_file
Order_file
Currency_file
Entity-relationship diagram
Processing
Algorithms in book acquisitions
Chapter 5. Automation of the cataloguing function in libraries
Scope
The role of cataloguing
Rationale for automating the cataloguing function
Infrastructure and requirements of an automated cataloguing system
Access to external databases
Internal databases and files
Data structures for the catalogue database
Subsystems of an automated cataloguing system
Search, retrieval, and display
Cataloguing data entry
Verification and validation
Authority control
Printing and output production
Retrospective conversion
Issues in RECON
The RECON plan
Determining library needs
Establish parameters
Establish standards
Options for conversion of records
Implementing the RECON plan
The role of OCLC in automated cataloguing
OCLC interfaces
Copy-cataloguing
Input of new records
Transcribing paper records
Authorities search
OCLC tape and file transfer interfaces
Interfaces with other library automation subsystems
Review questions and exercises
Reference and suggested reading
Chapter 6. File and data structures automated cataloguing systems
Scope
The bibliographic database in library automation systems
The Holdings_file
Authority files
The MARC record
Leader
Record directory
Control fields
Variable fields
Pros and cons of the MARC record
Representing the catalogue record in library automation software
Proprietary and flat-file structures
Relational database structures
Alternative relational database structure
XML Solutions
Algorithms in the automation of cataloguing
Review questions and exercises
References
Suggested reading
Chapter 7. Online public access catalogues (OPACs)
Scope
What are OPACs?
Early efforts
User studies
Multiple roles of an OPAC
The technology of web-based OPACs
DHTML
Common gateway interface
Dynamic link libraries (DLLs)
Java
Scripting languages
Search and display functionality of web OPACs
Basic search
Advanced search
Desirable features of web OPACs
The OPAC user interface
The physical screen
General principles
Results display screens
Messages
Welcome messages
Prompts
Status messages
Error messages
Help messages
Organizational issues
Algorithm to evaluate Boolean expressions
Review questions and exercises
References
Suggested reading
Chapter 8. Automation of circulation control systems
Scope
Introduction
Rationale for automating circulation control
Infrastructure and requirements of an automated circulation control system
Membership records
Membership privileges matrix
Barcode making and reading equipment
Subsystems of an automated circulation control system
Membership registration subsystem
Charge subsystem
Discharge subsystem
Renewals subsystem
Holds/reservations subsystem
Recalls subsystem
Interlibrary loans subsystem
Overdues subsystem
Fines subsystem
Binding subsystem
Search and retrieval subsystem
Management information reporting subsystem
Interfaces with other library automation subsystems
Review questions and exercises
Suggested reading
Chapter 9. File and data structures in automated circulation control
Scope
Nature of circulation control
Files in circulation control
User_file
Privileges matrix
Structures for transaction data
Structures for reservation transactions
Audit trail of fine transactions
Security and transaction logging
Entity-relationship diagram of data structures in circulation control
Review questions and exercises
Suggested reading
Chapter 10. Automation of serials control
Scope
Nature of serials control
Rationale for automating the serials control function
Idiosyncrasies of serials
Infrastructure and requirements of an automated serials control system
Access to external databases
Access to internal databases
Subsystems of an automated serials control system
Check-in or registration subsystem
Claims subsystem
Binding subsystem
Serials union list subsystem
Subscription management subsystem
Search and retrieval subsystem
Physical preparation subsystem
Reports subsystem
Interfaces with other library automation subsystems
Review questions and exercises
Chapter 11. F File ile and data str structures in serials control
Scope
Files in serials control
Serials_Master_file
Holdings records
Binding file
Orders, fund accounting, invoices and payment processing
Review questions and exercises
Chapter 12. Web-based library automation
Scope
The global nature of the Web
What are web-based library automation systems?
The technology of client-server architectures
Web-based library automation systems from the users point of view
Web-based library automation systems from the librarians point of view
Networking via web-based library automation software
References
Chapter 13. Strategies for the implementation of library automation
Scope
Factors that influence the adoption of information technology
Internal factors
External factors
Helpful factors
Prerequisites to implementing library automation
Library automation tasks
Problem identification and planning
Adoption strategies
Feasibility study
Analysis, design, and system specification
Develop or buy decisions
Tendering
Implementation
Training and procedure manuals
Evaluation
Review questions and exercises
References
Chapter 14. C Current trends and possible future directions
Scope
Leveraging the Internet
Web-based OPACs
Libraries as portals
Document delivery and interlibrary loan services
Ariel
Global Sharing Program of OCLC
ISO Interlibrary Loan Protocol
Digital reference services
Application service providers
Cooperative library networks
Digital libraries
Interoperabilty of information systems
The z39.50 standard
Metadata initiatives
The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI)
The Dublin Core elements
Relationship of the DCMI with other Metadata Initiatives
XML, RDF and Metadata
Dublin Core Metadata Elements, z39.50 and MARC-21
The Open Source Movement
Possible future directions
The centrality and pervasiveness of the Web
Digital libraries
XML versus legacy formats
Applications and Services
References
***************************************************************
CD-ROM containing the following:
Resources for teachers and students
Sample forms and data structures
Demo applications
Algorithms
L J Haravu
Trustee, Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management
[http://www.kiikm.org/]
69 Krishnapuri Colony
West Marredpally
Sedcunderabad 500 026
Tel: 91-40-27803947
